Six Things Hacking Away at Your Leadership

Whether you’re in ministry, business, education, or the non-profit sector – leadership capacity will ultimately determine your effectiveness. Author and speaker, Dr. John C. Maxwell, calls this the Law of the Lid, everything rises and falls on leadership.

Knowing how to grow as a leader is important but it’s just as important to know what holds you back.

Here are 6 things that hack away at leadership and keep you from your full potential:

#1 Leaning on your title or position. Weaker leaders tend to lean on their title or position to establish authority. These propped up kings and queens have power over people, but authentic leaders have power with people. They have no need to lean on their title or position. They earn the trust of their people through the consistent demonstration of character and competence. Insecure leaders lean on their title to establish authority. These propped up kings and queens have power over people, but authentic leaders have power with people. Click To Tweet

#2 Confusing authority and competency. Most senior organizational leaders have authority over areas in which they have little or no competence. Just because leaders have authority over the departments that report to them, doesn’t mean they should direct the details. The best leaders have the smarts to pick the right people to do the job and the self-restraint to leave them alone while they get it done.The best leaders have the smarts to pick the right people to do the job and the self-restraint to leave them alone while they get it done. Click To Tweet

#3 Confusing activity with productivity. Anybody can be busy, it takes a leader to make progress and produce results. 20% of the activities you devote time and energy to, will produce 80% of your results. Smart leaders are committed to spending more and more of their energy in the areas that help them produce the best results. Anybody can be busy, it takes a leader to make progress and produce results. Click To Tweet

#4 Trying to have all the answers. Nothing good happens when a leader tries to have the right answers all the time. It increases stress when you know you don’t have the answer but feel you should. Appearing to have the answer, when in fact you don’t, is demotivating to the people on your team, especially those that DO have the answers. When a problem emerges and you don’t know what to do, simply inquire to the group, “Anybody know the best way forward?” Leadership is about bringing out the best in others. Build up your team members by asking for their help, seeking their wisdom, and enabling their talents. Appearing to have the answer, when in fact you don’t, is demotivating to people on your team, especially those who DO have the answers. Click To Tweet

#5 Focusing on the short term. When leaders get caught in the thick of thin things, the organization gets bogged down. When you have no time or energy to pay attention to the long-term vision, the organization is blind. The underlying cause of leaders getting too involved in the day-to-day is usually a lack of trust in their people. Great leaders have enough smarts to hire the right people and enough humility to let them do their job without getting in the way. Great leaders have enough smarts to hire the right people and enough humility to let them do their job without getting in the way. Click To Tweet

#6 Neglecting your interior life. This is more of an erosion of leadership than hacking away at it. It’s a slow fade, often an unnoticeable drift. The daily habit of personal prayer, seeking conversational intimacy with God, cannot be replaced by anything. No amount of vision, passion or giftedness can bring Life to the leader in the way personal prayer can. Unfortunately, talented leaders can go a very long time relying on talent and hard work. Real leadership happens between two prayer times, the longer the gap, the thinner the leadership. Personal prayer brings substance to your leadership.Talented leaders can go a long time relying on talent and hard work. Real leadership happens between two prayer times, the longer the gap, the thinner the leadership. Click To Tweet

Bad habitual patterns are hacking away or eroding at leadership. I have identified six, do you have any others for us to watch out for?